"Street, Dresden" by Ernst
Ludwig Kirchner, 1908
Oil on canvas, 59 1/4" x 6' 6
7/8" (150.5 x 200.4 cm)
Kirchner
and his colleagues, in Germany, created the artistic language we know today as
German Expressionism that mainly depicted reflections of German street life,
mainly in Dresden, right before World War I. In this painting, like in The Mulatto the central position is
occupied by women, but differently this time the women in the center are framed
by a crowd in the background. In addition, in this painting, the women look
directly at the viewer, whereas the woman in Mulatto avoids a direct eye
contact. This differentiated relationship between the central figure and the
intended audience of the works could be a reflection of the different standings
of these two different groups of women in the early twentieth century German
society. It could also be argued that due to the ease with which these women
seem to be offering themselves to the viewer, they could be prostitutes. This
ambiguity about social positioning is a parallel theme in these two works, and
in many works by Brücke artists. The use of striking and bright colors is
another overarching characteristic of this group of artists, which
simultaneously gives the painting a vivacious and a nightmarish quality. The
jarring colors and the fluctuating forms also parallel the changing society of
the time, and the artistic choices reflect the artists' anxieties.
Woodcut, 20 1/16 x 14 7/8" (51 x 37.8 cm)
Early 20th century
expressionist looked outside European societies for inspiration and primitivism
was a common theme explored by many artists. Far-flung tribal societies in the
South Pacific and Africa were fascinating sources for these artists and
they borrowed from those cultures repeatedly. In this painting, Pechstein
depicts two nude figures on a beach, bringing together elements from his
interest in tribal African culture and travels to Oceania. Stylistically, these
two paintings have many parallels as well. As explained in Moma's guide to
primitivism they borrowed "bold volumetric shapes, geometric
ornamentation, decorative patterning, and flattened planes from art and objects
encountered in ethnographic museums and commercial galleries, at exhibitions at
World’s Fairs and zoos, and in reproductions in books and periodicals."
This common interest in these distant cultures was motivated by an idyllic
vision of a simpler and more primitive life, and possibly also by their
liberating effect from the stifling mores and traditions of the European
society.
"The Seed of Areoi"by Paul Gauguin, 1892
Oil on burlap, 36 1/4 x 28 3/8" (92.1 x 72.1 cm)
Paul Gauguin was a
post-impressionistic artist, greatly influential to the next generation of
European artists, including the German expressionists. I wanted to include this
work because I believe that it could be useful in identifying the roots of some
stylistic and thematic trends of the early twentieth century. Gauguin traveled
to the South Pacific island of Tahiti, then a French colony. He hoped to find
an enchanting and peaceful paradise; however, he was disappointed to find the
island tainted and corrupt by French colonialism and sickness. He was still
enchanted by the people he encountered in his travels and conflated these
impressions with primitivist ideas. Once again borrowing from Tate's guide, the
most important ways in which he influenced the future movements can be cited as
"his use of bright, flat, and unrealistic colors and his interest in recovering
a "pure" subject, closer to nature."
--
Through these related
works, I have gained a deeper understanding of some overarching themes of
German Expressionism, sources of inspiration and historical influences. I hope
to explore these further in the future.
--
Sources:
Barr, Alfred H. German Painting and
Sculpture, exhibition cat., New York, Museum of Modern Art, 1931
German Expressionism: Works from the
Collection. 2012. Museum
of Modern Art.
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